I'd do it for You
by lepc09101316
Summary: In a post war world, Draco has desperately tried to find a way to carve out his own version of "home". Mourning the loss of his wife, he turns to an unlikely source for comfort. As a fledgling friendship forges, a new law threatens their society, and an old enemy threatens their lives. Draco/Hermione
1. Chapter 1

"I'd do it for You"

Disclaimer: is this necessary? I don't own the Harry Potter franchise

BEFORE YOU READ: I want to inform all readers that until a year ago I had no working knowledge of anything Harry Potter related. One day my daughter came across the Harry Potter series while browsing through Hulu. I should forward this information with the fact that I was a teenager when the HP series came out, and even though I tried to read them, they just never caught on for me. I had several friends that LOVED it, and they drug me to the first two movies, but after that I never gave it a second thought. Anyway, fast forward and my daughter wants to watch these movies, I say sure whatever. And me and my husband end up spending an entire weekend basically gathering dust on the couch as we watched all 8 movies. My daughter was in love and when the last movie ended she looked like someone had stolen all the candy in the world. She wanted to know everything there was about this series so I enlightened her to the fact that these movies were in fact books before they were movies. She went nuts and begged to get them. Now, my daughter is ADHD and dyslexic. Reading is her mortal enemy because it takes too much time and focus and because the letters loom 'ridiculous' as she puts it. So, when my daughter, who we didn't think would make it to 3rd grade because of her reading difficulties, you bet your ass we peeled ourselves from the couch and headed to the book store! So, while all the other 2nd graders in her class was reading Dr. Seuss, she was carrying around HP and the Philosopher's Stone; and better yet, she was trying her hardest to read it! I have never been more grateful for a book series like this. It has totally changed her perspective on reading.

So, since she embraced it, so did I. That being said, I still don't know the ins and outs of all the characters and most of my knowledge is coming from the film series (I promised we would read the books together and that I wouldn't skip ahead and we are only on book 3 at the moment). That being said, if I write something that is out of character, it is purely out of ignorance. Some characters may not belong to certain groups or certain details may not be totally accurate. I apologize in advance for that.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, hope you enjoy.

Part I

It had been 6 years since the war ended, and for six years he had yet to carve out a home for himself. Although, to be fair, he did have more of home than many had nowadays, thanks to the bloody aftermath of the war. He had money, a manor, his parents, and now he had a wide eyed little angel holding his hand tightly as they maneuvered the streets of Diagon Alley. His parents, although he was grateful for their lives, offered little support to his emotional well-being; and since most of his friends had either died or ran off during and after the war, he had few people to turn to. Though, through a series of unusual incidents, he had forged a small but meaningful group of people he could almost describe as friends. But of what he did have, the closest he could attribute to a 'home' in the most meaningful sense of the word was the blonde haired boy at his side, looking up at him with a toothy grin, his hand resting fully in the protection of his fathers.

He had been married for a while. An arranged marriage, of course, to the lovely Astoria Greengrass. She was not without her charm, and her looks left nothing to be desired. She came from a family similar to his in wealth and social stature. Their union was made not out of love, but rather, carefully chosen by their parents to fulfill a duty - produce an heir. Not just any heir would do either, as the population dwindled, the few pure blood families left were desperate to continue forward with their names untainted by the half breed and mudblood filth left over from the destruction. The Malfoy's were absolutely one of these families. They acted as if the war changed nothing about their prejudicial views. Lucius and Narcissa had maintained their stance on the pure blood hierarchy and they intended to keep it that way. Draco, on the other hand, had been deeply changed since the war ended. Although he disagreed with his parent's viewpoint, he could hardly say he blamed them. The world they grew up in, fought for, and still somehow managed to cocoon themselves in still, did not lend itself to conditions wherein they might see the folly in their thinking. But Draco saw it. He partook in a battle next to peers he sat in the Great Hall with. He saw pure bloods, half breeds, and mudbloods all fight, protect, and die together in a place that should have been safe. A place that welcomed all. He was too prideful to see it then. But he saw it now.

Using his free arm, he shrugged the collar of his coat upwards and readjusted his green scarf. The November weather was settling in and today the temperatures had plummeted low enough to call for snow. Looking down at his son he noticed the cap meant to cover his ears had been pulled nearly off his head. He stopped them and bent over to readjust his hat and scarf. The little boy was comical in the way he was dressed. He wore so many layers he had trouble letting his arms rest to the side. Draco smiled at the disgruntled noise his son made as he tightened the scarf. He was new to dressing him alone and was terrified he would do something wrong. He would hate himself for allowing his child to catch a cold, or worse, on his watch. As he made his final adjustments and straightened back up, his eye caught the papers displayed at the nearby newsstand. The article was titled ****POSSIBLE MARRIAGE LAW TO BE ENACTED****. Draco shook his head and scanned the front page, gathering all the information he cared to know about.

"Figures they would lead with this story and not the one we need to be concentrating on right now" He said to no one in particular. His son grunted in reply and Draco let out a soft laugh.

"Come on then, we are almost there. Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?" The toddler gave, what Draco assumed to be, a head nod under the hat and scarf. Quickly Draco scooped up the small child and placed him on his shoulders and headed towards the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with his lunch dates. His mind raced with the uneasy topic he would soon be discussing at his upcoming meeting and, although he disagreed with the Ministry's proposal for repopulating the wizarding world, he dismissed the marriage law nonsense the papers were going on about to concentrate on the more important matter at hand.

Still though, he couldn't shake the lingering thoughts of war's destruction. The truth of course was that the war _had_ depleted the population of the wizarding world, and the Ministry made no secret that the newest agenda for all wizards and witches should be to work towards replenishing the population as quickly as possible. In fact, the population had dropped so severely that there had been rumblings of a marriage laws being proposed for nearly a year now. Draco paid little attention to the matter as he had already done his duty, but if memory served him correctly, the latest census yielded less than satisfactory results, and the minister of magic was currently working on the wording of a 'new aged' marriage law to present within the month to the wizarding community. That must have been what the article he glanced through was detailing. But who could tell nowadays what fact was and what was mere talk. This marriage nonsense had been discussed for a while now and he figured it would stay in the headlines as long as it provided fodder for interesting gossip.

Draco doubted very little it would have any effect on his life however. After all, he had produced a son, and should that not be enough, his family and their status could ensure he would not be expected to follow such an archaic rule. He did however feel a twinge of sympathy to the poor blokes and distressed ladies who would surely be up in arms about having to marry what would in all likelihood be a complete stranger - and then be expected to immediately fuck them and pop out as many kids as possible. He shuddered at the thought - mostly at the idea of getting married again.

He felt relieved for a moment that he was no longer married, but his relief was soon replaced with guilt - as it always did when thinking of this subject. Marrying Astoria, while not his ideal plan in life, had not been all together that bad. She was a very lovely woman and she bore no resentment to him for their forced situation. But she didn't love him and he didn't love her. They settled into married life with a mutual respect for one another. They performed their expected marital act on many occasions, before during and after Scorpius was born. They grew to enjoy one another's company but never yearned for the other when one was away or out. Their lives resembled that of flat mates who occasionally shared a decent shag. They were pleasant; nothing more, nothing less.

The guilt of feeling relieved of his arranged marriage always tore at him when he thought of the reason as to why they were no longer a couple. She had passed away three months after their son was born. She had turned her wand on herself and unleashed an unforgivable. The wizarding doctors didn't know what to make of it and after ruling her death an obvious suicide, they buried her and nothing more was ever said about what drove her to such lengths. Her passing ate at Draco for months. He may not have been in love with the woman, but he did care for her as a friend. In any case she certainly deserved better than what she got. She was, after all, his wife and the mother of his child. Something about her demise seemed too off putting and completely out of character. Draco turned his attention to his family's vast library looking for any sort of answers; he felt he owed her that much. He found none. The wizarding world, while amazing in its own right, needed to catch up with the muggle world on their knowledge and treatment of health - particularly women's health. He found very little in his expansive collection that aided him in the understanding of mental health and female suicide. When he finally exhausted all his resources and still had no answers he turned to an unlikely source.


	2. Chapter 2

Part II

Scorpius sat atop his father's shoulders and peered out over the heads of the surrounding people. So many loud noises. The poor child could barely think. Being only 18 months old, the child had lacked the ability to tell his father he wished to be someplace warmer and quieter, so instead he scanned the area to find a familiar spot to find solace in. As his father quickened his pace, the young child's senses sprung to life as his bearings began to nudge at his ever forming memory. He knew they were somewhere they had been before. That's when he saw it. It was coming right up. Now he knew where they were going. The familiar sign hung in the distance but he recognized it immediately. A big picture of a cat resting atop a pile of books jutted out of the façade of one of the buildings they were approaching. He loved the place with the cat on the wall. Best of all, inside the building was a furry little friend to pet and play with. And best of all, he knew if he were to go into that particular building he would receive a snuggle, a treat, a book, and a kiss. His father liked that store too from what he could tell. His father always smiled when they went in and his voice changed in a way he never heard when they were at home. The cat and the books was getting closer. Scorpius could feel the excitement welling up inside of him. They were almost there! He began to sway his little body towards the entrance of the building as they came upon it, causing his father to nearly lose his balance.

"Whoa son! What's the matter?" Draco asked stopping to readjust the boy on his shoulders. His response was nothing but a muffled plea, begging to be put down so he could make his way inside for his treat. Realizing where they were, Draco was able to put two and two together.

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry champ, but we aren't going to the bookstore today." Scorpius reacted the way a reasonable toddler would; he cried and kicked his legs against his daddy's chest. "Would you calm down you little hellion?!" Draco chided playfully. "We will see her soon enough and I am sure you will get exactly what you want when we do!" His reasoning fell on deaf ears. Pushing past the crowd, he tried to get them away from Hermione Granger's storefront as quickly as he could.

While his son continued his protest, Draco thought about how much time he really did spend in that little nook of a shop with his child. He remembered the first time he had ever been brave enough to consider engaging in any sort of conversation with her.

 _15 months earlier_

 _Since the war ended he had very little interaction with her. She saw him at the post-war trials, and even he stood mystified on the sidelines as she took the stand and defended his participation in the war. She had explained to the court that while many of his actions were inexcusable despite his age (as other wizards and witches the same age as him made the much more rational and responsible choice to resist the dark lord's plans) she knew without doubt that he aided in their escape in the manor. He had known it was Harry who had been brought in just as sure as knew it was her being tortured under his aunt's wand. She didn't bring up any accusations about his lack of assistance while she lay convulsing on his marbled floor. She merely explained that when he had the opportunity to take out the one person who could save their world, he didn't; and she thought that should count tremendously in his defense._

 _He had not seen her again until two years later at a hearing to determine if his house arrest and probationcould be suspended. She was not asked to take the stand, but she came all the same and watched the proceedings. When it was over and he was declared an officially free man, she approached him with the same brazen attitude she always had and spoke sternly to him._

" _Not everyone is as lucky as you are. I can hardly think of another person in this war who is in the position you currently find yourself. I hope you take this opportunity to prove to people that you are better than you have shown yourself to be." Her eyes fell from his gaze and looked at the floor. Her voice suddenly changed and was full of something he could not quite place. Remorse maybe? "Sometimes I think about what I said at your trial two years ago and I wonder if I would do it again. I hate that sometimes I think that I was silly to consider that one action would make up for the rather lousy person you showed yourself to be. Not that you owe me anything, but I would love to be proven wrong this one time." She brought her eyes back up to his. He had a barrage of comments locked and ready to fly out of his mouth, but his throat constricted when she went to move a tendril of hair out of her face. The sleeve on her blouse rode up and he could just make out the end of the etched in slur on her arm. All insults disappeared and his stomach dropped to the floor. As if he had a sudden epiphany, his mind repeated her words over and over again._

 _The silence between the two was palpable and uncomfortable. The two locked eyes and both felt a bolt of something threatening to bring them both down. For the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy felt vulnerable. He felt like he was looking into the soul of someone who knew him for everything he was, is, and could be. He felt under her control and knew that if she had requested him to drown himself in a bucket he would have done so as quickly as possible._

 _Hermione felt herself falling into his tortured eyes. She thought about her words and partially regretted them; even if they were true. She had scars and memories to bear of the war like everyone else, but it was a little easier to get to sleep most nights knowing that every blow she took, she took for the betterment of their society. But he didn't have that luxury. But then again, he didn't have a choice like she and so many others did. She suddenly felt a massive wave of pity for the boy, man, she was looking at. He never had a chance; but that shouldn't count as payment for all his sins right?_

 _Suddenly, she felt as though she had no control of her limbs. She felt herself lift her arms and tightly wrap them around his waist. She pulled him close to her and rested her head on his chest. Draco, never being one for affection and certainly put into a state of shock by this unwarranted attention, went rigid in her arms. After a moment, and with her arms still around him, she looked back up at his face. His eyes were closed tight and she was sure she saw a sparkle of moisture in the corners of both of them. A flashing light caught her attention and she saw a swarm of reporters and gossip columnist swiftly approaching. Realizing the impact a photo or snippet of conversation of her and Draco would have on the press, she decided to move swiftly. She pulled his head down so his ear was level with her mouth and whispered to him. His breath hitched in his throat as her words trickled like velvet into his ear._

" _Don't be better for them", she breathed into his ear, referring to the crowd of reporters anxiously waiting the interview with the ex-deatheater "be better for yourself". She let go of him and pulled away. Her cheeks held a tinge of rose at her sudden actions. As she turned to leave he reached his arm out to her. She stopped and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She gave him one last look and walked away._

" _I could be better for you" he thought to himself as he watched her walk away._

 _He wouldn't see her again for nearly three years at his wife's funeral. She had come as a compulsory act of social etiquette, but found herself to be more saddened than she anticipated. Maybe it was the way Draco held himself and spoke with the guests. The rough and callous nature of his voice was gone and his posture was less rigid and intimidating. She had meant to speak to him personally and offer her condolences, but at the last minute decided against it. She had lost sight of him anyway. She was sure that he had seen her face and her social obligation had been fulfilled. She doubted very little he would have anything to say to her, much less want to say anything to her. She made her way out of the ball room that was currently being used as a funeral hall and headed towards the exit. This was the first time she had been to the manor since her meeting with Bellatrix._

 _She repeated to herself that he wouldn't care if she said anything at all, but the truth was, her early exit was due to the fact that she felt her chest tighten and her breath quicken in the presence of the cavernous manor she now stood in. She was stricken with an unbelievable force of panic at the idea of being here. Her research would call her response PTSD and perfectly acceptable given the situation. She tried to use that logic and reason to pull herself out of the grips of panic and anxiety. Her efforts were in vain as she felt herself slump against the wall and slide down to the floor. She had to think of something to get her mind off of where she was. She tried and she tried but nothing would move the sound of Bellatrix's cruel laugh from her mind. She shut her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, her thoughts were vanished by a shrill cry. Her eyes shot open and her body stood upright. The cry came again, only it sounded much more agitated. Her legs started moving against her will in the direction of the noise. She happened upon the room the sound was coming from, and very tentatively, she opened the door._

 _There, in the darkened room stood Draco Malfoy with a small infant clutched in his arms. His black vest had a white, lumpy substance dripping down the back of it. He rocked the baby back and forth, but nothing seemed to calm him down. Looking around the room she noticed a diaper bag spilled out on the floor and three used bottles of premade formula empty on the table. Returning her attention to the matter on his shoulder and back, she reasoned what had happened. Suddenly the overwhelming thoughts she had been having had retreated and her mind was set solely on the poor child screaming in consternation at his father._

 _With unreasonable bravery she made her presence known. "Do you need any help?" She thought her voice came out a hushed whisper, but it was loud enough to go over the child's screams. Turning suddenly, Draco stared at the woman intruding on his embarrassing failure at fatherhood._

" _I am perfectly fine! Now get out!" he replied harshly. Knowing that Draco was not one to ask nicer as second time, she went to turn and leave. But Hermione Granger was Hermione Granger after all. And the little niggling suspense of what the trouble likely was left her aching to prove him wrong. So, rather than leave, she summoned her Gryffindor courage and marched over to the overwhelmed man._

" _You have fed him too much and his stomach is aching. You need to hold him in a way that puts pressure on his tummy." She scolded him with her trademark know-it-all-ness. He scowled down, unpleased by the fact that she still thought she knew better than him after all these years._

" _And how is it that you would know anything about taking care of a baby. I haven't read any stories in the prophet about you popping out any little bossy, bushy haired, know-it-alls!"_

" _I'll have you know that as the godmother to Harry's child I have had plenty of time caring for a baby." She replied with an air of arrogance he both loathed and admired. The infant's crying had not ceased once during their interaction, and out of desperation he conceded to her help._

" _Then what do you suggest I do?" he asked, irritated at the interaction he was being forced to participate in._

" _May I?" she asked gesturing towards the infant. Draco looked between Hermione and the baby. After a moment he carefully handed her the ill-tempered baby._

" _Oh please! Do you think I am going to drop him or something?" She took the baby from him and pulled his onesie up and over his head. She then pulled the sleeve of her own shirt up. Using one arm she helped to settle him down on his bare stomach down on her other exposed arm. His head was cradled in her hand and his arms and legs hung on either side of her forearm. She tucked her arm into her chest and protectively placed her other around him._

" _This is called the football hold. When a child has had too much to eat, or is gassy, or has any sort of tummy pains, it helps to alleviate the ache by applying pressure. You could try lying him face down on a bed, but the skin to skin contact soothes them more." The baby's cries had instantly begun to fade as she slowly swayed her body back and forth. Draco stared at her in astonishment. "You also might want to try a light swaying motion. You were rocking far too fast and erratic to sooth him" she added._

 _Draco stood their dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Scorpius had been crying for nearly three hours. None of the house elves had been able to calm him, hence the reason he was called out of the room full of mourners. His thoughts scrambled as he tried to piece together the puzzle of his life that left him in this position. His wife dead in another room, him incompetently trying to care for their child, and Hermione fucking Granger coddling his son whom she had never met like he was her own. He didn't understand it and he hated that she was instantly better at it then he was._

 _Hermione had long since begun ignoring his menacing stare and rigid posture. She softly swayed her body around the room, humming softly too the child. He noticed the way her dress moved with her body and the simple grace she exuded from the simple act. He shouldn't be thinking those things. Astoria was in the other room. What kind of a man was he that he could even look in the direction of another woman while his wife's body was not even cold yet? It didn't matter that he didn't love Astoria in that way. Nothing about this scene felt right to him. As if waking up from a dream, he shook his head and marched over to Hermione and his son. He placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her ministration abruptly. Without a word, he roughly took the sleeping child from her arms. The sudden and rough movement caused Scorpius to wake, and his wail rang throughout the room. Hermione looked at Draco with what he almost thought was a look of hurt; but as quickly as he saw it, it was gone. Silently, Hermione turned and headed out the door, leaving a crying Scorpius and an angry Draco behind her._

 _One month later, Draco sat tiredly at his desk. He had more than enough work to do, but being a single father to a baby with a massive case of colic was not very conducive for a good night's sleep. This had been his first week back since Astoria's death and he was finding it exceedingly difficult to concentrate. His eyes began to fall against his will. He would have succumbed to sweet slumber had his momentary bit of peace not been interrupted by a certain green eyed hero._

 _Harry Potter stood in his open office doorway and knocked loudly on the frame, causing Draco to jump at the sudden intrusion to his silence._

" _Sorry to interrupt you, but I needed to talk to you about this latest creation you've sent to the lab. Luna is saying that the side effects far outweigh the relief it offers and there is no way she can push for its release. You will have to change the formula or nix the project entirely" said Potter as he took a seat on the other side of Draco's desk._

" _Well maybe I had intended it to cause more harm than good!" spat Draco. He may have changed, but under the right pressing circumstances, a little bit of his bratty side always managed to seep out. "And what the hell are you doing telling me about this Potter? This is hardly the jurisdiction for an auror. If Looney Luna has a problem with my potions she can damn well come tell me herself!"_

 _Harry sat silently and allowed Draco to use his words to lash out at him. Everyone knew of Astoria's suicide and the hallways of the ministry were afire with gossip about what the former death eater must have done to drive her to it. Harry leaned back in his chair waiting for Draco's tirade to end. When it did, he allowed the silence to hang in the air for a moment._

" _No one whose opinion holds any merit thinks you had anything to do with your wife's death" he said flatly._

 _Draco pondered his words for a moment and let out a sigh. Pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes, he asked, "What is it you really want Potter?"_

 _He was unfazed by Draco's course voice. In the years that he and Draco had been working together, a fledgling friendship had developed. They exchanged very little personal information, but had been known to silently and amicably sit with one another and enjoy a stiff drink after work. When Albus was born, Draco had left a present for the new family in Harry's office, and when Scorpius was born, Harry had done the same. Their friendship was made up of silent moments and small gestures such as that and in one singular moment of desperation, and under the influence of a few rounds of fire whiskey, Draco voiced his concerns over the circumstances of Astoria's death._

 _Harry clapped his knees with his hands and stood up. "Well, truthfully, Luna asked me to do her a favor and let you know about the potion mishap. She didn't want you to feel like someone was dropping any thinly veiled accusations at you and she, for reasons I don't understand, thought I would be the best person for the job". Harry absently wandered around Draco's office, pouring over the wall to wall library of books. "If I didn't know any better, I could swear this was Hermione's office with the amount of literature cluttering the place up."_

 _Draco's interest piqued at the mention of her name; although he tried to hide his interest, Harry spotted the way his posture straightened at the mention of her name. Harry had never been one for matchmaking, and not knowing the full details of his relationship with Astoria, he knew he had to tread carefully. But he did know that whenever he was at his lowest, Hermione always had a way of building him back up in a way even his wife couldn't master._

" _You know", he treaded carefully "Hermione just opened a book shop in Diagon Alley a few months ago. She's got an expansive collection of wizard and muggle books and encyclopedias. I would be willing to be she would have something on the topic we were discussing the other night about Astoria." His words hung in the air and for a moment he had regretted mentioning it. He was daft at matters like this and he certainly didn't want to make things worse for his newest friend._

 _Draco pondered for a moment. "I doubt very much so that Ms. Granger would want to assist me. And I very much don't blame her. The last time she helped me I was less than cordial to her." Draco hadn't told Harry of his last encounter with Hermione and her assistance with Scorpius. But Harry shrugged off the comment and continued on pressing his luck with the matter._

" _Hermione has a very forgiving nature; to a fault I sometimes believe. She has a way of seeing the best in everyone and building people up when they are at their lowest," as he spoke he walked back over to Draco's desk, fishing something out of his wallet. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Draco. "Here is the address of her new shop. Stop in sometimes and see her; I'm positive she could help." Harry turned to leave, but as he got to the door he stopped and looked back at his friend. "Oh, and if you're scared mate, bring the baby with you. She turns to putty around them." With that, he smiled and headed out._

 _Draco studied the card for a few moments then looked at the stack of files on his desk and his cluttered potions counter. The clocked struck, indicating it was just past lunchtime. Deciding to give in to his impulsivity, he allowed himself to rise out of the chair and head towards the exit. It wasn't as if he was going to accomplish much today anyhow._


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: just wanted to let any readers know that there is mention of suicide in this chapter. nothing graphic or too detailed, and it's very brief. But this won't be the last time it's mentioned. I just wanted to let you know now.

Thanks, now onto part III

Part III

It was his first time taking his son out in public all alone, and his anxiousness was clear to all passerbys.

Normally he would be in the company of his mother, father, or even a house elf; usually he had someone to help corral the young boy should he try to venture off, as he often did. And passing up his favorite shop definitely left him squirmier than usual.

But not today. Today he went alone. He needed time to think, and it was some degree of twisted luck that he had the opportunity for this stroll thanks to the meeting he was on his way to. Too many things had happened and he was in no mood to appease or acknowledge the people in his life desperately trying to get him to address the very real issues he would at some point have to face. In recent years, his father's health had begun to decline. Despite his allegiance to the dark lord, Lucius often found himself on the receiving end of a curse or two, and time had a way of worsening their effects. Some days his health was in such poor repair he could barely make it out of his room. But on good days, he milled around the manner, filtering in and out of his office. He mostly went over paperwork and met with a few associates, should his health allow. Draco knew what all his efforts were for. Lucius was trying to tie up loose ends on his part that would make the transition of his business and wealth pass smoothly over to his son upon his death. Truthfully, there was not as much to take over. The Malfoy's were still exceedingly wealthy and one of the most affluent families in the wizarding world. Their money had been made throughout the generations through crafty investing and thoroughly mapped out arrangements between other families of the same privileged circumstances. Lucius and Narcissa's marriage had been no exception and their union boosted their portfolio even higher. Still, the cost of the war had depleted some of their monies and Lucius was dutifully trying to regain the account balances he had before the war. He had wanted Draco to inherit the wealth he was intended. By no means were they struggling. A few handshakes and poignant deals across the board would make up for the drop in no time. But Draco's reluctance to attend any of these meetings or show any interest in learning how to manage their wealth at times infuriated the eldest Malfoy.

Draco's interest had for a while lied elsewhere. He had always excelled at school, even challenging the great Hermione Granger in some academic circles. But his particular strength was in that of potions. Perhaps it was his personal relationship with his position's master or maybe he simply had an innate knack for the process, but his love of the chemistry behind the subject blossomed. He had practiced studiously in what little free time he had during his days at Hogwarts and during his house arrest he had little to occupy his time other than playing in his lab. Although his efforts started more out of boredom, he saw that he was actually making significant progress on some of his projects. After penning a letter to the minister of magic, he had worked out a deal wherein he would submit new or improved potions to the ministry, and based on their merit be given a token sum for his efforts. What had started out as a pittance of a salary soon greatly increased as the ministry saw the scale and precision of his work. Soon he began submitting all manners of concoctions of increasing value. This had allowed him to gather quite the savings he hid away. His parent, although aware of his relationship with the ministry, had no idea of the significant work his was actually providing and the level of satisfaction he was receiving as a result.

When his engagement to Astoria was announced he began to submit less and less brews to the ministry; a fact not unnoticed. At this point, several higher ups had taken it upon themselves to speak with a certain witch whom was securely poised to become the next minister of magic. She had known of Malfoy's work and had been public in admonishing those who thought less of it because its creator. After being briefed on the sudden drop in his submissions, she had her assistant pen up a job offer as head potions officer of the ministry of magic. Her thoughts were that if he held an office and a title he would be more inclined to produce more work. She had been happy to receive his acceptance several weeks later.

His mother had been none to please with his acceptance of the job, feeling as though it was somehow beneath their name. Instead she continued her endeavor in pushing Draco to take a more active role in their family's business with even greater persistence. Draco had managed to pull himself up from the wreckage of his name and secured a high profile position as potions expert within the Ministry of Magic; and he was privately proud of that fact. Astoria didn't have an opinion either way to his new job; which wasn't unlike her. She did however encourage him when he felt that his parent's admonishment of his choice had been a little too harsh. They simply couldn't understand the simplistic tranquility he felt doing a job that blended him into the masses. When he buried himself in his work he had forged his own personality and world. He wasn't looked down on as the former death eater – although that was in no small part thanks to a certain witch's recommendation.

He had tried as long as he could to dodge his mother's pleas but that only seemed to infuriate her more. As he made more of an effort to express his desire to go on his own path, his mother countered by pulling away some of his luxuries he had taken for granted. Most recently, she had stripped him of his right to call upon the house elves for any type of assistance. She also made it clear that her willingness to babysit her only grandson had come to a halt until he found reason to sit and discuss their family's future. Draco had learned a lot from the war, but he was still in some regards the same boy he always was. So when he was forced into a corner and called upon to do something he didn't want to, he found himself calling upon his inner brat and choosing to storm away like a spoiled child being told "no". Hence the reason for his trip out with his son alone.

And it wasn't as if he didn't spend time with Scorpius or didn't know how to take care of him. His whole life was devoted to his child. He just always had a safety net hanging below him should he falter as a parent. But that was gone now and he had to rely solely upon himself to ensure his son's security. Well, not entirely, he mused to himself as he made a quick glance behind him at the book shop he was currently trying to pull his son's attention from.

Draco and Scorpius came to a stop as he waited patiently to cross the street. Diagon Alley was busier than he expected for this time of year. The foot traffic thickened so much he could hardly see crossing in the next moment or so. He instead idly stood by, scanning the crowd for an opening to squeeze into. He narrowly missed a gaggle of young teenage girls taking up an entirely too large size of street space. His eyes bounced back and forth as he deftly maneuvered through the crowd. He made a mental note to himself that he should go ahead and start is Christmas shopping now; one could only imagine the rush when the holidays came around. And that's when a curiously depressing thought crossed his mind. For as busy as the street was, it paled in comparison to the traffic he remembered from his youth as he excitedly pushed through to buy school supplies. The dwindling population acted as a thief in the night. One hardly recognized a difference until forced to really take a look.

Once safely on the other side of the alley he made his way to the end of the block. Fishing out his pocket watch, he noted he was already 4 minutes late. A trivial amount of time for typical company, but he was not seeing typical company. He smiled at the prospect of dining with his new found friends. Although, in retrospect he wasn't sure if he earned the privilege to call them that. He was cordial with one of them, tolerant of the other, and well, he didn't know about the third - aside from the fact that getting to have lunch with her and whoever the additional company may be left a foolish grin on his face he couldn't seem to remove.

"Do you suppose she will be mad at us for running late?" He asked his small companion. A muffled "ha!" Came from his shoulders and his smile widened. "I guess we will have to persuade her back into our good graces. Good thing I brought you along Scorp." He mused to himself more than the child.

The wind had picked up considerable as he made his way into the Leaky Cauldron. Removing his son from his shoulders, he clutched him to his chest to shield him from the weather. As he pushed through the threshold of the restaurant, he scanned the dining area for his table.

She was breath taking even from afar. Her back was to him, but he recognized her auburn hair anywhere. He no longer was able to call it bushy or deride it in anyway. As she matured it settled down into soft ringlets that flowed down her back in an elegance he hardly believed she knew she possessed. Her figure had filled out exquisitely and she was a far different picture from the girl he knew. Suddenly, as if seemingly aware of his presence, she turned around in her chair and offered nothing but a smirk at him and his son. He countered with one of his own as she lifted her arm and pointed repeatedly at her wrist - indicating she was well aware of his lateness. With a sly shrug he sauntered over to their table and held Scorpius out to her as if he were a shield. Scorpius' arms stuck straight outward and his chubby hands opened and closed, beckoning her closer.

"Mye Mye!" he exclaimed. Hermione's look of playful indignation was no match for the tiny tot tugging at her heart,

"Granger, you can't possibly be mad at me for being a few minutes late. After all I had to dress the child all by myself."

She took Scorpius from him mid-sentence and began unwrapping his comical layers.

"Using your son as an excuse? That's low even for you Malfoy " stated the dark haired man sitting across from Hermione. Draco locked eyes with him for a moment and formed a scowl that matched his opponents. For a few seconds no one said anything. Finally, Draco's composure cracked and a smile tugged upwards at his frown. Harry's followed suit as he stood up and shook his hand, pulling him into a hug and slapped his back affectionately.

"I'm only learning from the master. Wasn't it you who just had to leave work early a few weeks ago because Albus was sick?" Draco playfully chided. Harry blushed as he flopped back into his chair. "No I must not be remembering it incorrectly because I'm positive I saw you that very afternoon cheering your lovely wife on at her opening quidditch match. No child in sight I might add." Draco smirked his trademark grin. It wasn't often he could call out Potter. In recent years they had grown to develop enough familiarity and rapport that their jabs at one another became harmless banter.

"Alright, you win this round" Harry conceded.

Still standing, Draco turned his attention to the fourth member of their group. His red hair had lost some of its shine as he aged, and his physique had begun to falter since his marriage. Lavender Brown, nay Weasley, was quite the cook; and it showed in her husband's expanding waistline. Although tensions had cooled down, Ron did not feel the same camaraderie that Harry was so inclined to offer Malfoy. But all the same he recognized the change in the man after the war and made a promise to his friends to keep civil. So far, his efforts had been promising. With a slight nod of the head, both Draco and Ron acknowledged the others presence as Draco took his seat at the table next to Hermione and his son.

The group quickly dove into polite conversation. Harry was in the middle of telling them about how much Albus loved helping his baby sister learn to walk (although with him only recently mastering the art himself it apparently looked a lot more like pushing and rolling to the untrained observer). Draco smiled at the story and for a brief moment wondered if he would ever be in the position to give Scorpius a sibling. *Not likely* he thought shaking the idea from his head. Not after what happened to Astoria.

Scorpius has fallen asleep in Hermione's lap soon after she scooped him up from his father. Draco couldn't help but steal glances at her and at how comfortable she was with his son. She had no reason to be. He offered her nothing but trouble and hate in their earlier life. He tried to foil everything she and her friends tried to accomplish during their school days. He had even stood by and watched her be tortured under his aunt's wand in his own home. That was by far the worst thing he had ever done in his life; at least by his standards. There were probably far worse things his death eater days saw of him, but in his mind, the image of her writhing on the floor of his childhood home while he stood, stoic faced in the corner, haunted him every time he met her eyes.

She had no reason to give him a second chance. She had no reason to offer nothing but love and affection to his son. But somehow she did. Somehow she woke up every day with that horrible reminder tattooed on her arm and found the strength to not only tolerate his miserable arse, but also to befriend him, to care for him, to help him when he needed it, and to shower affection on her son. That last fact meant the most to him. Despite his efforts to clear his family name and show his worth to society, people still regarded him with a level of disdain he had never experienced. His greatest fear that people would look upon his son with the same regard; never giving him a chance. He had even heard in some corners, whispers about the death eaters son and their dim predictions for the baby. That hurt more than anything; comments about himself he had learned to ignore and had built a tough enough skin that they no longer fazed him, but when they were directed towards his innocent son, he lost his composure in despair.

But she didn't think those things. He didn't think her heart was capable of such hatred. From the moment he walked in her store clutching the small infant to his chest like his life depended on it, all of their past became a blur; and when she held the tiny baby for the first time, all of their past had been forgiven.

 _16 months earlier_

 _Draco stood for what felt like forever in front of her shop. In one hand he held the business card Harry had offered him earlier. He looked back and forth between it the storefront sign to be assured he was in the correct place. His other hand clutched his infant son protectively to his chest as he slept. For a moment he was pulled out of his contemplative state to note that at 4 months old, Scorpius was almost too big for him to carry around with one arm._

 _Taking in a deep breath, he crossed the threshold into the store. It was exactly as he imagined it. It was large, but somehow quaint. The isles seemed so narrowed as to make way for the ample inventory, but upon closer inspection, it appeared as though they had been charmed and widened upon entry. The walls of the store were a heavy red, and the accents were trimmed in gold. It reminded him of the Gryffindor common room, and for s uneasy as that should have made him feel, he instead felt as though he was enveloped in a warm hug. Along the outer walls were several high back chairs. They were all green and each accompanied by a small table to set a drink on should one choose. The store, while seemingly unassuming from the outside, felt cavernous and cozy at the same time. He felt that he would likely get lost among the shelves should he venture any further alone._

 _He looked around the front of the store for a moment, examine the purchasing counter and looking for the proprietor. When he failed to locater her, he began to give into his more cowardice side and take leave; pretending that he had never come in the first place. But before he could make his decision, his small companion had apparently grown weary of his nap and was now awake and demanding a bottle. He tried to quiet him and quickly turned towards the door when he was stopped by a voice,_

" _Oh I am very sorry! I didn't know someone was here! Please don't leave, I will be with you in a second!" called a familiar voice. As if appearing out of nowhere, Hermione Granger emerged from one of the narrow aisles. She immediately locked eyes with her new customer, and for a moment she found herself at a loss for words. As she approached him, she straightened her back and kept her gaze on his. She stood before him for a moment, waiting for him to begin the explanation of why he was here._

 _He had wanted to make a snide comment about her customer free shop and turn around and leave. The remark was on the tip of his tongue, but as he began to form the words, Scorpius' cry brought him back down to reality. He really didn't want to ask her for help. But he also owed it to his son do find out more about his mother's death. With a heavy sigh, he began to speak._

" _I suppose you know the circumstances surrounding my wife's death." He said flatly as he adjusted his son in an effort to get him to quiet down. She nodded in response, her gaze now shifted to his upset son. "Anyway, I just found the whole situation odd. Not that I think there was any foul play involved, I just…", he trailed off as if trying to find the words. He looked down at her, seemingly searching for some of her courage; as if she hoarded it in hiding places among her shop. She pulled her sight from his son and returned it to him. It was all he needed to continue. "She was a nice person is all. She never acted like she was upset or depressed. This was just, such a surprise to everyone. She didn't deserve to go out like that, and I just thought, somehow, if I could understand more of her reasoning, I could, well, I'm not really sure what I could do with the information." He confessed it all to her like a sinner to a priest. She listened intently, and her eyes softened with every word. When he finished, she was silent for a moment, as if thinking of the perfect response for him. Finally she replied._

" _I think I may have some books and journals on what you may be describing, but some of them I know I will have to order. If you give me a few days I could have the material all ready for you." She stopped and walked over to her counter and picked up a calendar. "Let's see, it's Tuesday, if I spend tonight researching what I think I need and I order tomorrow, I should have it in no later than Friday. Why don't you come back here after work on Friday and I will have everything ready." Everything she said fell out of her mouth with such ease you would hardly think she was conversing with her childhood enemy. It gave him a glimpse of her completely in her element. He liked how her nose crinkled as she thought over what she was saying, as if even her daily speech had to be well thought out and researched as a homework assignment._

" _That would be very nice Granger, really. I'll come back Friday." He turned to leave as Scorpius had gotten even fussier while they stood their motionless. Without thinking, he changed his position to where his belly was rested against his arm. He quieted down, but not altogether. As he pushed open the door and stepped one foot out, he heard her call out "Good form with the football hold! But you need to tuck him in a little tighter to your chest!" Although he had not been facing her, he could hear the satisfactory tone in her voice at the idea that he actually tried her suggestion from their meeting nearly a month ago. Without a word he moved his body the rest of the way out the door to leave. When he was out of sight, he tucked his arm in closer to his body and listened in astonishment as the baby quieted down._

Present time

Harry finished his story about his sons and the air between the group had gone silent for a moment. It was a comfortable silence but Draco felt it was now or never to deliver the news. He felt his heart beating in his temple. He knew they were going to be upset with this new information.

Clearing his throat, he started "Listen, I don't mean to bring the mood down, but there is something very important we need to discuss". The group leaned in closer, ready to receive his news.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed my story! I appreciate it!**

Part IV

Draco's eyes darted from one member to the other. He suddenly was at a loss for words. While he would likely never admit it, he secretly worried that his news would break the tenuous connection he had with his new friends. He was ashamed at what he would bring to light, and for a moment, more than he ever had previously, he desperately wished he had been on the other side of the war; and was not the one in the position to be the bearer of such news. He breathed a heavy sigh and focused on his son; still asleep in her arms. He found some semblance of courage, but still failed to form any words. Their eyes felt like fiery pins as he sat in silence. Unable to form any sort of sound he instead unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled his sleave up. Laying his arm on the table, he revealed his dark mark to the group.

"Uh mate, we already knew which side you were on" said Ron with a hint of annoyance at this sudden reminder of a war that took his brother and scarred his family forever.

Hermione sent him a look that said more than words could and his posture became considerably less aggressive. "What's wrong with your mark Draco?" she asked softly.

Draco looked at her soft eyes and then to his sleeping son once again. With a sigh he began. "During the war when I got this ghastly thing, it would emit a different sensation whenever Voldermort or any of the death eaters needed to get into communication. It worked as sort of a calling card for the members on our side. For the past few weeks, mine has been casting a warming sensation. During the war that was usually meant as a call to arms used to assemble the members quickly. To be on the safe side and ensure that they couldn't be used again, all those in Azkaban had the choice to have their marks removed or partake in an experimental potions trial that was slated to have the magical properties of the mark removed."

"Wait, I thought there was no way to remove a dark mark?" Asked Ron.

"There isn't." Replied Harry. "What he's saying is that all those with the dark mark who are in Azkaban are now missing an arm; unless of course they took the potion" surmised Harry. Draco nodded. The potion option, although at first glanced may have seen like the better option, was in fact far more troublesome than simply losing an arm. The brew had been highly experimental, and the test trials were inconclusive; sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. It did have one common effect however. It caused excruciating pain. All of those who choose that option reported feeling as though their limb was being burned off. They felt as though their skin was in a constant state of fire and were surprised to see that the flesh on their arm was in fact not melting off into a pool of fluid and blood onto the floor. The effects lasted anywhere from a week to a month. Some had even decided midway through the potions trial to go ahead and do away with the arm anyway. For those unfortunate few, the negative effects still wracked their bodies.

"There was no way with the body count the war left to ensure every member of the dark lords army was accounted for. But people like myself, my father, Blaise, and a few others who took the potion just assumed everyone else was either dead or in Azkaban. But when the mark started calling me a few weeks ago, I got understandably worried. I spoke with my father about it and he said his was doing the same thing."

"So obviously the potion didn't do any bloody good! How do we know he hasn't been planning something all along and this is just another fucking ruse to finally get us all! He's probably been communicating with the others for years now!" interjected Ron. His interruption earned him another stern scowl from Hermione as she silently warned him to shut up. Feeling as though her face was somehow not communicating her disgust with his outbursts, she made an attempt to shush him up, but before she could speak, Draco continued.

"He's right Hermione, the potion obviously didn't work. And had I known I would have brought it to someone's attention. But I'm just as surprised as everyone else that it has started acting up again." Draco said as he tried to defend himself. He was used to this sort of accusatory conversation. "Anyway", he continued, "My father made some calls and arranged some meetings and he found some very disturbing news." Draco trailed off as he turned around and dig through Scorpius' diaper bag. He pulled out an old wanted poster recently printed by the ministry that had yet to be publicized. He placed it in the table and a collective gasp was heard. Hermione heaved such a heavy breath that Scorpius' eyes momentarily popped open. She quickly regained her composure and started drawing soothing circles on his back to lull him back to sleep.

The wanted poster sat mockingly between the group. The ghastly face of Scabior scowling up at them gave them all reason for concern.

"You're sure it's him?" Asked Harry seriously.

"Positive. Father went as far to have a meeting with him." He said the last part with his head down and his gaze averted. Hermione, using her free hand that was no longer rubbing the child's back, snaked under the table to grab his and give it an encouraging squeeze. She locked her eyes with his and gave a slight nod for him to continue.

With a sigh, he continued, "Look, before I go on any further you have to know a few things. First, my father is far too sick to engage in any sort of devious planning, and although his thoughts on pure blood status has changed very little, I don't think he wants another war any more than the rest of us. Secondly, he planned his meeting with Scabior with me for the sole purpose of gathering information and doing what can be done to stop him."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances as Draco spoke. Being amicable and even friendly with Draco was one thing, but when the topic of war came up, the atmosphere tensed significantly. Were it not for Hermione, it was unlikely any conversation regarding the subject would end well.

"This seems like a trap! I'm not about to sit around while he pretends to feed us information that's going to just make it easier to slaughter us!" Screamed Ron in a furious rage as he pounded his fists on the table, punctuating his point.

"Ronald!" Cried Hermione with as much civility as she could muster, as she was still holding a small sleeping child. "You have got to stop living in the past! For goodness sake, Draco and Harry work in the ministry together. Draco has come over to your house and ate at your table. Your mother even invited him to the Burrow! Everyone has move passed his past. We have lost too many loved ones to feel afforded the opportunity to push more people away! If he says he is trying to help, then I am inclined to believe him; and so should you!"

Ron looked back and forth between Hermione and Harry, searching their eyes for answers. Harry gave him a subtle nod and he felt himself relax back into the chair. Looking up at Draco he quietly asked him to continue.

Draco was momentarily lost for words. This was not the first time Hermione had stood up for him; and if their current pattern of interaction continued it wouldn't be the last. It never ceased to amaze him the length she was willing to go for him. Although he knew if you were to ask her if she had done something extraordinary then she would wave off your nonsense. It was extraordinary to him though; to stand up to your friends for the good of someone else. He had never had friends like that. Standing up to someone in his circle usually was seen as a challenge for superiority.

With Hermione and Harry's support he continued. "I can assure you this isn't a trap. We've only been trying to find out as much information as we can. And what we know now isn't good".

"Well how bad can it be? The Ministry hasn't mentioned anything about Scabior or any remaining death eaters. If it were such a threat I would think it would be something we would be made aware of. That's the type of information an auror need to be aware of." States Harry.

"Scabior has done an excellent job of hiding. He has spent the past 6 years licking his wounds in South America. He returned about 8 months ago with a very specific agenda - to kill you three."

The trio exchanged worried glances between one another for a while before Hermione broke the silence.

"But why us and why now?" She asked.

"Scabior and Greyback were unofficial death eaters during the war, and as it closed, their allegiance to Voldemort became even more solidified. It had been rumored that they even took the dark mark on themselves. After the war ended, with all the death eaters and snatchers either dead or imprisoned, Scabior made his escape. His thoughts on the war didn't change and his time alone only gave him time to get angrier. He told my father he was trying to find the remaining free loyalists of Voldemort and start the revolution over again."

"Well that's ridiculous; there aren't enough members out there. In fact until you mentioned him, I think we all assumed they were all gone." said Harry.

"As long as prejudice is alive in any form, he will find his army. Even if he has to start over and recruit from the bottom, he will do it and he will find supporters. And after he kills you he will have the perfect platform to stand on." Draco explained solemnly. There was a moment of silence before anyone dared to make a comment.

"What should we do?" asked Ron from the other end of the table, breaking the silenced.

"Well we need to find him and get rid of him!" offered Harry.

"No" stopped Draco. "It won't be that simple. Scabior has made it exceedingly difficult to track him. Even if I wanted to discuss things more with him I would have to wait for him to contact me or my father".

"Well where does that leave us?" mused Hermione quietly.

"I don't know. All I could think of was to tell you so you could each strengthen your wards and keep your eyes open. He could be anywhere and he will do whatever he has to in order to get to you."

"Thank you for telling us" said Harry. "I'll make sure that I report this first thing in the morning. We can get more men on the situation and make sure he's caught before he can gather enough people for an uprising. I'll increase security at my house, Ron and Hermione you do the same" ordered Harry.

"It's no use Harry, the ministry is aware of the situation and they are doing their best to keep all of this under wraps. Only a select few there were handed this poster; and needless to say, I wasn't exactly on the list for handouts. They are worried that word of his movement will spark old flames and inadvertently give cause for any fringe members of society to jump ship with him. I'm afraid for the time being, we are on our own," Draco regretfully explained.

A heavy silence hung in the air. Harry slammed his fist on the table in frustration and slumped down into his chair. Ron's posture hadn't changed and he remained vigilantly upright, his eyes never leaving Draco. Finally, as the information processed more in his brain, Ron spoke.

"Hermione, do you think you will be okay? I mean, you live alone and farther away from everyone. I would think you would be Scabior's easiest target. Maybe you should consider staying with me and Lavender, or Harry and Ginny" reasoned Ron. His romantic love for Hermione might have been short lived, but he still carried her in a special place in his heart. If anything were to happen to her, he felt as though a part of him would die as well. Harry carried the same feelings for her and looked in her direction, awaiting her response.

"I couldn't possibly put either of you out like that. You two have too much going on. I am sure I will be fine. I can take care of myself." She retorted.

"Come on Hermione, you could never be a burden. Besides Albus loves his Aunt Miney and I'm sure he would adore having her at his beck and call all day!" Harry smiled at her as he saw a crack in her resolve. Before she had a chance to respond, Scorpius opened his sleepy eyes and let out a needy cry. He was in an unfamiliar place and he didn't recognize the people looking at him.

"Oh, there, there, little one. Don't fuss. I'm here, and your daddy is right there. Everything is okay" soothed Hermione to the fussy child. Scorpius, recognizing her voice and finding comfort in the warmth of her chest, settled down, but reached his chubby arms up towards as if he was reaching for something. "Draco, when is the last time he ate?" she asked her companion.

Draco's eyes widened at the realization that he hadn't fed Scorpius in hours. Without the constant reminders from his mother and the house elves he struggled to get into a routine with the boy.

"Shit!" he swore as he earned a swift kick in the shin from Hermione. He reached in the diaper bag searching for a container of food and his special cup. There wasn't one in there. He could have sworn he packed it. He distinctly remembered pulling the container out of the cabinet and placing it on the counter alongside the sippy cup... Where he must have promptly forgotten it.

Realizing his mistake, Hermione sighed, "Honestly Draco, with a house full of help how could you possible forget something as fundamental as food". Shifting the tot to one side of her body, she reached into her bag and whispered an 'accio'. A jar and spoon were pulled from her pouch. Without help, she easily opened the small glass jar and began shoveling the contents from it to Scorpius' awaiting mouth. Draco stared in wonder at how comfortable she looked feeding his son. She looked so natural and at ease a stranger would assume it was her own. Scorpius greedily took the food and cooed a garbled version of 'thank you'.

"You and that bloody pouch! How is it that you had the foresight to pack baby food in there! It isn't like you have any kids!" asked Ron in astonishment. His words didn't mean to, but they still stung her. It wasn't as if she didn't want to have kids, or that she wasn't bloody well trying. She had been on several dates with eligible bachelors; she just hadn't taken a fancy to any of them; at least certainly not enough to envision bearing their children. Hermione focused on the child in her arms and answered him curtly.

"I'll have you know I've spent many a night assisting Ginny and Harry with their young ones. And just last week I babysit Albus for the night when Lily was sick with the stomach flu. So that is why I happened to have such accessories on me. Besides, I never know when I might be called upon to be an impromptu babysitter and I like to be prepared".

Ron rolled his eyes at her and smiled, "If that's your story".

"Well I for one appreciate it" said Draco with a smile. "But, the weasel has a point about your safety. I really think you should take them up on the offer. I would invite you to stay with me, but Scorpius and I are actually about to leave all of you to do a little house hunting since we aren't welcomed to live in the manor at the moment." It had all spilled out of his mouth before he could stop it. He certainly hadn't meant to divulge such information, especially in front of Potter and Weasley.

"I mean, well, what I meant was… uh – " Draco stammered trying to correct his mistake.

"What do you mean you aren't able to live in the manor at the moment?" asked Hermione with concern lacing her voice.

"It's nothing, really. Just a little tiff with mother, it will blow over soon I'm sure. But it doesn't really matter, Scorp and I should be living on our own. There is no sense in a full grown man and his son staying with mommy and daddy anyway." He tried to laugh off his explanation, he did not feel like explaining the tumultuous time he was having with his mother and his decisions about his responsibilities for their family name and fortune.

"Well, if you think it will all blow over soon, why don't you and Scorpius come stay with me." Offered Hermione.

The table was stunned for a moment. Harry and Ron exchanged glances. They watched as these two dipped their toes into unfamiliar friendship territory.

Draco was stunned as well. His friendship with Hermione had certainly made leaps and bounds from what it started out as, but he would never expect her to make such an offer to him. Finding his voice he replied, "No, Hermione, I couldn't possibly put you out like that. Besides, your flat only has two bedrooms and it's not nearly big enough for two adults and a toddler." He thought his reason was sound enough, but somewhere in his gut he was begging on her to poke a hole through his theory.

"It's actually not a bad idea Hermione." They were all stunned to hear Ron speak in favor of such a proposition. "I mean, I never thought I would say it, but, if everything he's telling us is true, then there is safety in numbers. And if you don't want to stay with me or Harry, I'd feel more comfortable knowing you had…someone." He trailed off. He didn't know what to think. He didn't fully trust Draco, but he also didn't fully distrust him either. Hedging his bets, he decided to go with Hermione's belief that the tall blonde was in fact a reformed man. At any rate, he would sleep better knowing Hermione had someone in the same home with her with Scabior on the loose.

Not allowing Draco the luxury of another thought on the subject, Hermione exclaimed, "It's all settled then!" She reached behind her chair and swung her bag over her shoulder and stood up, with Scorpius still in her arms. "Come on then, let's get you boys packed up!"

Draco, knowing this was one fight he would definitely not win, got up from his chair, nodded to the remaining members of the group, and spoke, "I will let you know as soon as I have more information."


	5. Chapter 5

Part V

It didn't really matter all that much to Draco, but he was correct in his earlier statement that Hermione's apartment would be too small for the three of them. Her flat consisted of two bedrooms, one bath, a narrow galley style kitchen with an opening to an open room that served as both a dining area and a living space. Draco's lifetime of wealth, and even his time served in the war, had always accommodated him to luxurious surroundings. He never wanted for space, and although it mattered little to him now, he did wonder how the three would logistically share such small lodgings.

Draco was brought out of his musings as a medium sized box whizzed by him and down the short hallway into one of the bedrooms. Hermione followed behind it with Scorpius on her hip.

"Come on, I'll show you where you and this little one will be staying." Her hips swayed hypnotically as she walked and he felt compelled to follow her anywhere she asked. She brought them to the last room at the end of the hall. It was larger than the initial room they passed, and her half packed belongings quickly told him that this was in fact the master "suite" of the home.

"Hermione is this your room?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment, sensing an upcoming argument about their arrangements, she quickly beat him to the punch. "Now listen, yes this was my room, but it is far bigger than the guest room, and since you and Scorpius will have to share, it only makes since for you two to have the bigger room. Unless of course you would prefer you and I take this room and give Scorpius the smaller one." The last part came out without the guide of any filter her brain possessed. She immediately blushed at the insinuation and quickly began laughing, in a vain hope to convince him it was a joke.

Before he could respond, she let out "Only kidding! You wouldn't want to share with me anyway. Harry and Ron both say I snore, but I don't believe them for a minute." She continued to try and laugh off her slip of the tongue.

"I hardly think a little snoring would deter me. Although you might feel off put by my constant tossing and turning during the night. Between that and the snoring I doubt either of us would get a good night's sleep." He said laughing. He had recognized the blush as soon as she had suggested the sleeping arrangement. He knew she had only been joking, but, somewhere within him, he found the prospect of sharing a bed with her none too displeasing. He could easily picture waking up with her nest of hair resting wildly across his broad shoulders, and her cheek resting comfortably on his bare chest. He could immediately envision his arms wrapped around her shoulders and their bodies intertwined with one another in a mess of sheets. He found he could live quite comfortably in that fantasy, and where it not for the sudden cry of attention from his son, he very well may have for the remainder of the day.

"What's wrong son?" he asked as he moved closer to Hermione, who was still holding onto the child. He cried and wiggled in her arms, trying to get out of them and towards his father. Somewhat reluctantly, Hermione handed him over, and felt a small pang of jealousy; althought she couldn't possibly tell why. After all, Scorpius was not her son and it was only natural that he would want to be with her father.

"He may sense a change in the air. He's probably just a little uncomfortable not being in his surroundings. How about I call out for some dinner and you to take some alone time to go and pick it up. I'll have the room all ready for you when you get back and maybe he will feel more at home once he sees all of things have made the move with him."

"No, Hermione, I can't let you do all the unpacking!" he tried to suppress her decision, but it was far too late and he knew better than to battle with the brunette.

"Come on now, it's no trouble at all. After all, are you forgetting that we are in fact magic and have a bit of an upper hand on this moving thing than other muggles." She smiled as she reminded him of this obvious fact.

Draco sighed in defeat, "Alright, alright, you win. What would you care to have for dinner?"

"I'm not picky, anything is alright with me."

"Well, I saw this little deli down the street when we were making our way over here. How does some sandwiches sound?"

"That's perfect, I'll have whatever you are having."

"Alright then. Come on Scorpius, let's have a little fresh air shall we?" The baby smiled and babbled in response. In an instant, they were out the door. The home suddenly felt very empty to Hermione. She turned her attention back to the inconspicuous box that she had floated in the room earlier. She had charmed it to expand on the inside to accommodate all of Draco and Scorpius' things.

As she was arranging the furniture and moving her old things to the guest room, she chuckled softly at the whole idea of what she was in the middle of doing. How she ever went from bashing this bloody git in the nose to suddenly sharing a flat with him and his child she may never figure out. It was absurd and unlikely; but she thought that maybe that was why she was so comfortable with it. Her less than ordinary time at Hogwarts and the subsequent travels she underwent in searching for the horcruxes she thought had left her yearning for a semblance of normalcy and stability. It was the likely reason she fell for Ron in the first place. He represented everything she had been denied thus far. Being with him, marrying him, having his children, and living her life with him would have been the closest thing to ordinary she could imagine. It wasn't until she was propositioned by him for that exact life that she realized that she couldn't possibly live such a way; not now at least. She still had far too much to accomplish and she wasn't likely to do any of that if she married him. Knowing his mother's influence on him, she expected that she would be expected to immediately start adding on to the Weasley clan. Although having children now seemed more appropriate and something she would like to do, back then it was the farthest thing on her mind.

Instead, she chose to forgo Ron's proposal. She felt mildly eased by her decision when he too seemed to be relieved that she had answered 'no'. Years later, he confessed to her that his proposal was more influenced by what he thought was meant to happen as opposed to what he actually wanted. He loved her, truly he did, and she loved him too. But together, the two made less than a perfect couple. After a bit of awkwardness around the whole situation, things settled back down into their place. The golden trio were back to being friends, and that was just as she liked it. Ron went on to work with his brother at the joke shop, Harry completed auror training, and she took up a high position within the ministry of magic. She was well under way to become next minister, had she not decided to abandon the civil service world in favor of something more altruistic.

She had always had intense feelings for the rights of magical creatures. Back in Hogwarts, she had developed the organization S.P.E.W. for advancing the rights of house elves. The war made her work with that quick and fleeting. She thought that perhaps taking on a job within the ministry would allow her more room to be able to push more favorable laws into action. She found out, however, that the ministry was nothing but a giant ball of red tape she would never be able to cut through. If she wanted to make real change it would have to come from her own platform, devised by grassroot political movements she could more freely act on as a private citizen.

That was when she decided to open her book shop. It seemed like a natural thing to do, considering her love of literature and learning. She knew if she was to focus on bringing about political change, she would need to do it herself; and the prospect of running her own business offered her the luxury to work on her advocacy groups on her own time.

Hermione had become so lost in her thoughts that she barely registered the front door of her flat opening to her new roommates. It wasn't until Draco called for her that she realized she had been so entranced. She followed his voice to her small dinette area and the three of them enjoyed their dinner in peaceful silence.

Once dinner was over, Scorpius began to lull his head as he sat in his father's lap.

"I think he is ready for bed." Spoke Draco.

"Well, he has had a big day. I'm pretty exhausted myself. Why don't you try to get him to sleep and I'll clean up this mess."

"Are you sure? I can help."

"Nonsense, go try and get that baby to sleep. You should probably get some rest too. You look tired as well."

"Oh jeeze, thanks for the compliment." He replied sarcastically. She playfully threw a napkin at him, prompting him to get up.

"Get out of here you two. I won't be far behind you."

"If you insist Granger." He turned to head to his new bedroom, but before walked away, he turned back to face her. "Listen, I, uh, I just want to thank you. You really didn't have to take us in. It is, um, very nice, of you. Thank you." His words came out hurried and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He didn't know how to act around her.

Graciously, she simply nodded her head and smiled at him. He gave a small smile back and quickly headed towards his and Scorpius' new room. Once he got in and settled his son down into his crib, he too climbed into bed. As he laid in his new surroundings his eyes were drawn to the attention to detail that Hermione had put into their room. She had arranged it so perfectly, it felt just like home. She even went as far as to change the wall colors to a soft gray. The white trim accented the walls, and the floors were transfigured from carpet to wood. In the center of the room was a colorful rug, meant for Scorpius of course. She had his toys perfectly arranged inside a teepee she had erected for the child. The one thing that was out of place was the ceiling to floor book shelf that adorned an entire wall. The books obviously belonged to Hermione, and she either must not have had time to move them or ran out of space. Not that it mattered to him; she had already done so much for him anyway. As his eyes got heavier and heavier, his gaze remained fixed on the book case. As he drifted off to sleep, his mind thought back to another one of their earlier encounters…

 _14 months ago_

 _It had been raining all day and he would have stayed indoors where it not for the owl he received earlier that morning. It had woken him up with its earlier arrival and delivery of a note from a certain bookstore owner informing him that the materials he had requested had come in. He had been in a particularly bad mood that day. Something about the weather had him down. Coupled with that, Scorpius had kept him up virtually all night. His mother had offered to watch him but he declined. He could have also just as easily had a house elf take over his watch, but he wasn't ready for that. Although he was never in love with her, the loss of Astoria, his friend and mother to his child, had saddened him and being with the little boy, even if he was constantly crying, was somehow cathartic and made him feel a bit better._

 _Still, that meant having to get him out in the rain and he didn't much feel like doing that. He had thought about inviting her over to the manor to discuss her findings. Thinking better of it, he decided to persevere even in light of the weather and head towards her store._

 _It had been easier to enter her shop this time around than it had the first time; perhaps because she was expecting him. He entered and quickly untucked his son from under his coat and removed the wet layer. Before he had a chance to call out her name, she appeared from behind a line of shelves._

" _Malfoy." She said flatly. She then turned her attention to his infant who was looking around his surroundings with his wide, innocent eyes. Her tone changed considerably when she addressed the child. "Hello there mister Scorpius! Are you having a good day?" She was answered with a gummy smile and gurgle._

" _Hey, how come you're nice to him?" Draco asked indignantly. She rolled her eyes at him and ushered him over to a nearby table where she had a stack of books waiting. They each took a seat and sat in awkward silence for a few moments. Eventually, Hermione was the one who braved the conversational waters._

" _So, I was thinking about what you told me happened with Astoria. And, without trying to sound too presumptuous, I think I know what may have happened."_

" _By all means Granger, tell me what you know." He answered curtly. Her lips turned into a slight scowl at his attitude, but she tried to remind herself of the delicate subject matter at hand and take into consideration how he must be feeling; even if he wasn't going to take her feelings into consideration either._

 _She proceeded to explain the concept of post-partum depression. She was a little taken aback that he seemed to have absolutely no knowledge of the gestation and birthing process and the intense hormonal imbalances some women suffer form as a result. She went on to explain how the feelings Astoria might have been feeling after Scorpius' birth could have affected her in such a negative way. When she thought she had done a thorough enough job explaining the chemistry of it all, she stopped and allowed the information to sink in._

 _The silence was palpable. Draco's eyes were firmly fixed on the floor. She could hardly tell he was breathing he was so still. She wanted to break the silence, but was somewhat afraid of what his reaction might be. Instead, she opted to let him be the one to bridge the gap._

 _After a while he spoke in barely a whisper. "I should have been there for. I didn't… I just… I didn't have anything to do with her entire pregnancy. I wasn't… I mean, I… I wasn't even in the room when Scorpius was born." He let his words hang in the air for moment. Hermione, leaned forward and boldly placed her hand on his knee in a silent show of support. He looked so broken._

 _He looked at her delicate hand on his knee. How had he ended up here? Why was she helping him? Why was she listening to him? Why should he be the one to get to spill his guts when he never offered Astoria the time of day? If he had taken a fraction of an interest, maybe things would have been different. He may not have fallen madly in love with her but she would still be alive for fucks sake! He felt the anger and resentment towards himself rise in his throat like bile. Abruptly he stood up. Her hand retracted and for a moment he felt lost without her touch. He readjusted Scorpius in his arms and turned to face her._

" _I don't want these books. I'll pay for them but you can keep them in your shop or something. I don't want to know any more about this subject!" He made a move towards the door. She wasn't going to stop him. She could hear the hurt in his voice. But she couldn't let him dwell in pity and self-loathing; not when he had a baby to look after. She knew he wouldn't listen to reason, so she instead went for a more classical approach._

" _Wait just a minute you foul little ferret!" That did it. He stopped in his tracks just as his hand was on the door to leave. Slowly he turned around._

" _What the fuck did you just say to me?" he demanded._

" _You heard me! And watch your language around the baby!"_

" _I will speak any damn way I want around_ _ **my**_ _child you filthy little mud-" he stopped himself before the word came out. He was better than that now. Her voice from his exoneration echoed in his mind. He wasn't going to let her win this easily._

 _She stared daggers into him for a moment before she spoke._

" _Listen to me," her voice was low and commanding. "I don't know what happened between you and Astoria. I don't know what your lack of involvement did or didn't do or what it would or wouldn't have done. But what I do know is that you have a precious life to take care of. And I know exactly what you are prone to do in this situation. I will not allow you destroy yourself in misery and bring him down as well." Their eyes never broke contact. It didn't matter that she stood nearly a foot below him. In that moment she commanded everything about the situation. If her were an honest man he would say that he liked it. He liked when people stood up to him. He didn't like being placated; and this was one witch who certainly wasn't going to let that happen. She took a step closer to him. Their bodies were now mere inches away and Hermione could hear her heartbeat in her ears and was sure he could to. "You need to grieve, and that is okay. But it isn't alright to allow your grief or guilt consume you; not when you have him." She motioned to the child still resting, blissfully unaware of the interaction, in his arms._

 _He wanted to say something to her. He wanted to shout out a smart ass remark and put her in her place. Instead, the only words that came out were, "Thank you, Granger."_

Present day

As Draco slept one of the first restful sleep he had gotten in nearly a year, a more sinister presence kept a restless vigil. Scabior had been tracking Draco's moves for a while now. Ever since he was made aware of his trial and exoneration his interest in the younger Malfoy had drastically increased. He knew they had money, but this war was not easy to buy yourselves out of. He had known lesser offenders than Draco who were rotting away in Azkaban or dead. Why was this brat free? When he had heard of his involvement in allowing the golden trio's prolonged escape from the manor, and Narcissa's betrayal to the Dark Lord, he grew exceptionally angry at the apparent dissertation of his former alliance members.

It didn't take him long to track Draco down. The bastard was so cocky in his freedom he walked unabashedly around like he owned the world. He tracked him for days, seething in his own anger, and putting his plans to rid the world of the golden trio on hold in order to punish this traitor. At first, he had thought he could use his son as some sort of bait or threat. That little brat was always clinging to his hip. He knew he would be particularly vulnerable should something happen to him. But then, as if fate had stepped in to lend a hand, he got to witness a little rendezvous with a certain witch. He had watched Draco and his son meet her at a park a few weeks ago; before he had made his presence known to anyone. His plans involving his son had suddenly been put to rest when he saw the way he acted around **her**. They walked close to one another, pushing the child around in a pram and when he grew too fussy, the pulled him out and set him down on the grass to crawl around. They had joined him as well. Draco had lain down on his back with his head in Hermione's lap. The child happily played with a few toys they had brought with them. He saw her run her fingers through his hair while they talked absentmindedly. They looked like two love sick puppies. They had never kissed, but that didn't matter. In that moment, Scabior knew exactly what that girl meant to Draco; and that would be his downfall. Now, he had the luxury of killing two birds with one stone.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Here is part 6.

Part VI

Hermione had hoped for a peaceful sleep. After moving Draco and Scorpius into her flat, she was exhausted, but while she laid in the somewhat unfamiliar space of her guest room, she found that her mind and body were not willing to take the needed reprise of slumber. Instead she tossed back and forth, trying to get comfortable on her newly transfigured bed. Her flat may have been small, but the master bedroom in it had been large enough to accommodate a queen sized bed. Her guest room was not as fortunate, and she had managed to bring her bed frame and mattress to a size just slightly bigger than a twin. Still, she wasn't going to complain. She had slept in far more cramped conditions after all. Besides, it was all worth it to help her friend get back on his feet.

Her _friend_. It sounded so foreign to her. Not the 'friend' part, but the person it was attached to. Everything about her current situation felt so surreal. She would have never been able to predict such a turn in her life if she were given a million guesses. But she wasn't complaining. Draco was a welcomed, albeit, surprising addition to her life. It wasn't as if she was without friends, she just sometimes felt out of place among them. They were all attached to someone, they all had kids or were in the process of making them; they all had their own little lives with their own little families. It was touching to see her two dearest friend's blossom in such a way, but it sometimes left her feeling as though something was amiss with her own life.

Harry and Ron had always included her in their affairs as well. Hermione was common place among their homes. She was a great aunt to her nieces and nephews, and even Molly still regarded her like a second daughter. She did not want for a family. The Weasley's had more than stepped in. After an unsuccessful attempt at reversing the spell she had put on her parents, Hermione quietly resigned herself to a life alone. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Molly, and the rest of the clan would have none of that.

She had a nice life. She had wonderful friends. She felt loved and she felt like she belonged. But something was missing. The way Harry went on and on about his children, or the way Ron so easily slipped into the domestic role of husband had left her feeling something akin to envious; although she couldn't tell why. She wasn't exactly aching for a husband, but she certainly wasn't against finding one either. She wanted children, but something about the idea of child rearing made her nervous. Ever the planner, she was very much aware from her experience with Albus and Lily that children have an easy time in throwing a wrench in your plans. She had learned from them that it didn't matter how much you planned in advance, you were still going to screw something up. And that's what didn't sit all that well with her. Hermione Jean Granger was anything but a screw up and if she were going to have children they would come in the most organized and thought out way. They would be born into a bloody schedule if she had anything to do with it.

Hermione smiled to herself at her thoughts. She knew very well that she was being unreasonable. It didn't matter anyway. She was nowhere close to a husband or children.

It was around 2:30 in the morning when sleep finally overtook her. And then it was around 2:45 that she was abruptly woken up from her slumber to the sound of crying. She bolted upright as soon as she heard him. It took her a moment to recognize that she wasn't in her normal bedroom. When her senses returned, she rubbed her eyes and climbed out of bed. She wondered why Draco was allowing Scorpius to cry. Maybe he was changing him, or maybe he needed a bottle. She opened the door and was alarmed to see a teary eyed Scorpius sitting in front of her door. She immediately picked him up and started to rock him back and forth. He fisted her hair and snuggled into her neck, her night shirt drying his tears.

"There, there, little one." She cooed softly in his ear. "How on earth did you manage to get out of your crib?" she mused to herself. Cautiously, she took a step towards Draco's doorway. The door was open. He must not have shut it completely when he went to sleep. She peered into the room and had to stifle a chuckle. Draco was sprawled out across his mattress with his sheets askew. A soft snore escaped his lips. He must have been completely drained to not hear his son.

She let her eyes linger over his toned abs and the top of a 'v' that was exposed right above his pajama pants. Scorpius' hand tugged at her hair and snapped her out of her staring. She moved her eyes towards the crib, to see if she could figure out how he had managed to escape. This time, she couldn't stifle her laugh as she pieced together what must have transpired. She had made the mistake of placing a dresser adorned with all manners of stuffed animals within reaching distance of his crib. He obviously succeeded as they now sat stacked atop one another; making for a nifty ladder to use as an escape route.

She shook her head and smiled. She looked back at Draco's peaceful form. She really didn't want to wake him up since he was obviously exhausted. Quietly, she stepped out of their room and returned to hers with Scorpius in tow. She lied down on her bed and placed the baby between herself and the wall. Scorpius let out a contented sigh has he snuggled into her chest. As she laid there with the sweet child, her mind was empty as she fell asleep, but her heart had never felt so full.

Draco had woken from one of the best night's sleep he had ever gotten. He stretched his long limbs and cracked his neck. Stepping out of the bed, he immediately went into his routine. He walked softly over to the crib.

"Good morning Scorp. Did you sleep well in your new room?" he asked as he removed the blanket, revealing a stuffed elephant as opposed to his son. Panic immediately set in. He began throwing all the stuffed animals out of the crib looking for the child.

"Scorpius!" he was a wreck with the possibilities of what could have happened to him. His mind immediately went to the darkest places. Scabior's face flashed through his mind. Could he have done this? Draco burst out of the room and made a dash for Hermione's door. In the immediacy of the situation, he did not knock. As he stepped into room his heart rate quickly returned to normal when he saw the blonde locks of his son.

Hermione and Scorpius laid there, perfectly comfortable and content. Hermione was on her side. Scorpius lay with his back against her chest, her arm wrapped protectively around him. Suddenly, Draco felt his heart rate increase again; but this was for a different reason entirely. They looked so perfect together. For a moment, he lost himself in a world where this was the norm; a world where this wasn't just a friend caring for his child. He had to clear those thoughts quickly. This was hardly a time for him to be thinking about things that could never be. Instead, he needed to focus on the bigger task at hand, preparing and safeguarding against an attack from Scabior.

He quietly left the two alone and made his way to the kitchen. He had momentarily thought about preparing breakfast for everyone; but despite his efforts to gain some independence, cooking was not yet in his arsenal of skills. Instead, he opted to go back to his room, change into some clothes, and pop out for a bit to pick them all something up. It didn't matter if he cooked it himself, it's the thought that counts right?

He had remembered seeing a café down the street and hedged his bets that they would have breakfast. He was right in his assumptions. He had managed to go there, order, and come back all within half an hour. He was quite proud of himself as he made his return. He hadn't even noticed the shadow following him the entire time.

Draco had just finished plating the food when Hermione and Scorpius emerged from her room.

"Good morning you two! Sleep well?" he inquired. Hermione yawned and nodded her head.

"Good morning Draco."

"So, are you going to explain what happened last night?" he was quite curious as to how his son ended up in her room.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. He made himself a little escape ladder out of toys and wandered into the hall. You looked quite comfortable and I didn't want to wake you, so I just took him with me. I hope you don't mind." She suddenly felt as though she over stepped their lines.

"Not at all Hermione, I just wish you would have woken me up so you could get some sleep. I'm sorry I was that out of it. I guess I was more exhausted than I thought."

"It wasn't any problem at all, I assure you." Just then, she took in the picture before her and realized that Draco Malfoy was serving breakfast. "Did you do all this yourself?" she asked incredulously. Draco took immediate interest in his feet.

"Well, I mean, I did walk all the way to the café for it." he said trying to infuse a little humor into his touch of embarrassment.

She was touched. It didn't matter if he cooked it himself; she could only imagine the mess she would have woken up to if that were the case.

"Thank you, Draco. Really."

The corners of his lips turned upwards. He placed the last plate on the table and they all sat down together to enjoy their breakfast.

The next few weeks were mostly uneventful. Draco kept a quiet correspondence with his father to stay abreast of the Scabior situation. So far, he had made no more attempts to get in contact with anyone; and the lack of activity coming from his dark mark had Draco curious to what had become of their enemy.

Draco and Scorpius had blended well into Hermione's life. The three looked and acted like a little family. The close living quarters had brought him and Hermione together a lot more than they had been previously. Their friendship up until recently had remained steady, but the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be alone with her. The three of them did everything together, and he, silly as it sounds, sometimes caught a little bit of a jealousy bug whenever his son was able to snuggle up to Hermione in a way he had recently come to realize he wanted to.

But today he had decided he was going to take a calculated risk and do something about it. With no word from Scabior, and no one in the ministry reporting any sort of sightings, he had taken it to mean that his old cohort had decided against his uprising. If that were true, that would mean that sooner or later he would be out of an excuse to live with Hermione. Not that she acted as if she was waiting on him to move out. He rather thought that she too enjoyed their company.

So, as he sat nervously at the breakfast table, he waited for Hermione to join him to ask her a question. His courage was not as developed as hers. He wrung his hands together anxiously. Without realizing, his mind began to regard how their friendship had made it to this place.

 _13 months Ago_

 _It had been a month since he stormed out of her bookstore and a month since he couldn't get her out of his mind. She was absolutely infuriating; although he admitted to himself he had less than a stellar reason to think so. She was only doing what he asked. Just because he didn't like what she found didn't make it her fault. And why was he still thinking about her. Why couldn't he get that bushy haired smart ass out of his mind?_

 _Reaching under his desk, he accessed a hidden compartment that contained an ornate decanter of firewhiskey. He poured himself a glass and stretched back in his chair. He had far too much work to do to be thinking of Hermione Granger. Resolving himself to actually accomplish something at work today, he began reading over the notes he had received about a new potion St. Mungo's was in the process of developing. They were close to perfecting their newest concoction but were having problems piecing the remaining parts of the puzzle together; so they had decided to give him a shot at finishing it off. The notes had been on his desk since before he came back from his leave following Astoria's death. He hadn't found the strength to deal with this particular case as it had something to do with pregnancy and conception and quite frankly he really didn't want to be thinking about anything that had to do with that at the moment._

 _Finishing his last swallow of drink, he began pouring over the notes. About an hour in, his trance was broken by the sudden intrusion of an owl carrying a letter. The bird dropped the envelope on his desk and quickly flew away. The letter bore only his name on the outside. Curiously he opened to find that the correspondence had come from the last person he expected._

 _Malfoy,_

 _I was exceptionally perturbed with you the last time we met. As usual, you were able to turn what could have been an amicable at best situation into something far more terse. I was all set to write you off and move on with my life._

 _But then, I was struck with a poignant notion. I have never been married and I certainly have never had a child. And while I still think your behavior was unacceptable, I have never been in your situation and I can only imagine what you may be going through. I still firmly believe in what I said about you not being allowed to wallow in self-pity when you have a son, but you certainly should grieve. I am formally apologizing if I stepped over the line with the information I gave and the assumptions I may have made._

 _I sincerely hope you are moving on and doing well._

 _Regards,_

 _H. G._

 _P.S. Should you find that you need or would like more information, may I suggest visiting any number of book shops not owned by myself._

 _Draco couldn't control the smile that pulled at his lips as he read the letter. Even in an apology she still managed to shoe horn in how she was still right. She was right though; about everything. And if anyone should apologize it should have been him. He considered leaving well enough alone and ignoring the letter, but the immature desire to always have the upper hand kept pulling him in another direction. Who was she to apologize anyway? He was the one who had been an ass after she completed him a favor. This apology was nothing more than to reiterate that she was still above him. She was trying to be the mature adult; the better person. Well he would show her. If she wanted an apology war, she was going to get one. He found himself chuckling as he pulled a piece of parchment out and began penning a response._

 _Granger,_

 _Firstly, if I need information I will go wherever I damn well please, even if means coming to you yet again. Secondly, your apology was not necessary nor wanted. In fact, I hadn't given our previous interaction a single thought since we parted ways._

" _Liar" he said aloud to no one at that sentence. He hadn't stopped thinking about her. He couldn't stop thinking about her._

 _Thirdly, if someone is to apologize, it should be me; after all, I am being better person nowadays. So, I am sorry about my actions and behaviors. You were only trying to help and I shouldn't have reacted that way. Why don't you allow me to make it up to you with dinner? How about tomorrow night at 8:00? I'll pick you up at your shop._

 _Sincerely,_

 _D. M._

 _He stared at the letter before making a move to fold it and place it in an envelope. What had possessed him to add that last part? He didn't want to take her out for dinner, did he? No, this was to one up her. This was to show her that he was the bigger person. That was it. Besides, it's hardly likely that she would take him up on the offer. This would be enough of a gesture to ruffle her feathers. He laughed at the thought of the reaction she would have to his proposal. Deciding the mere image of her stupor at the proposition was all he needed to summon his owl to carry the message to her._

 _As the owl flew out of sight, he returned to his work. The hours passed by slowly. He found himself checking the time over and over again. Periodically, he would stretch his legs and look out the window of his office, his eyes scanning the sky to see if the familiar owl would be returning._

 _He was a bit disappointed that he hadn't received another letter by the closing of his day. He wasn't sure what he had expected. Did he really think she would be willing to have dinner with him? Not after everything they had been through. Hermione was surely forgiving, but even she had her limits. As he walked around his desk and towards his door, he was nearly run down by the large owl that whizzed past his head. It dropped a letter on his desk and flew out the window._

 _More quickly than he would like, he raced back to his desk to view the letter. It was curt and to the point._

 _Malfoy,_

 _I would prefer 7:00._

 _Sincerely,_

 _H. G._

 _For the first time in months, Draco felt a little lighter that afternoon. His mind raced with possibilities; although he tried his best to keep them at bay. What was the world coming to? He was going to have dinner with Hermione Granger, and he was excited!_

Present Day

Hermione had just finished her morning shower. She emerged from the bathroom in only a robe, her hair twisted up in a towel. Their time together had made them feel exceptionally comfortable around one another.

" _Oh I wish she wouldn't do that_ " Draco thought to himself as he shifted uncomfortably in his steadily constricting pants.

She slipped past him with a quick "good morning" as she went to turn on her coffee maker.

"So any big plans with Scorpius today?" she asked as she prepared herself a quick breakfast that consisted of a bagel and a granola bar.

"No, no, no big plans today." He replied quickly. "I've got a meeting with my mother at lunch today, but other than that nothing really."

"Oh, so that means you and Scorp won't be joining me for lunch today then?" she asked a little dejectedly. Ever since they moved in together, Draco had started filling his day with frequent trips to her shop. He claimed it was all for Scorpius who loved playing the children's section she had designed specifically for him. They had subtly slipped into a routine wherein they had lunch together as a makeshift family every day. Now the prospect of not having that left her feeling immediately empty.

"Oh, I uh suppose your right. I hadn't even thought about that. I can reschedule with mother if you like?" He had hoped she would take him up on the offer. He was not looking forward to this little talk he was going to have to have today. He watched her as she made her way over to their table and took a seat next to him. She crossed her legs and he robe rode up about halfway up her thigh. She obviously thought nothing of it as she sipped her coffee and picked up the copy of the Daily Prophet that was sitting on the table.

She waved him off as she took a sip of her coffee. "Nonsense, you keep your arrangements intact. Do you need me to watch Scorpius for you while you meet with her?"

His eyes traveled up and down her luxurious legs and for a moment he wondered what it would be like to be nestled in between them. He shook his head and averted his eyes as the space in his trousers got inexplicably smaller than it already was.

"Thank you, but I think I will bring him with me. She hasn't seen him since I moved in here, and maybe his presence will keep things from becoming too explosive." He tensed at the prospect of having to meet with his mother. He knew exactly what their meeting would consist of and he had no desire to walk into a fight.

"I'm sure everything will be fine." She said softly to him as she placed a comforting hand over his. She finished the last bite of her breakfast and stood to go change. Before she was able to leave the table, Draco grabbed her wrist and guided her back to her chair.

"Listen, before you go I have something I want to ask you."

Intrigued she settled back down and leaned forward expectantly. As she did the top half of her robe separated ever so slightly. It was enough for Draco to make out the defined curve of her breast. He swallowed hard as drummed up some courage.

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to dinner tonight?" he tried to sound as flippant and natural as his character dictated, but the cracks in his insecurities shined through and the request sounded nothing like it should have. And it showed as she looked to be a little confused at his proposition. They had dinner every night together. Realizing his mistake he quickly corrected himself.

"I mean dinner together, without Scorpius." He paused for a moment. "Hermione Granger, I would like to take you out on a date." There he had said it. Now was the moment where their relationship could take a turn; albeit he didn't know if it would be for the better or worse.

"Do you mean like a romantic date or a friendly date?" Hermione inquired.

Deciding that since he had come this far he may as well go for broke, he sighed and then proceeded to experience what would be colloquially termed as "word vomit".

"Hermione, I think you are an exceptional person who is beautiful, bright, funny, and kind. You also don't have any qualms about putting me in my place when I'm out of line. And you were the only one who thought I had a chance at redemption. I would like to take you on a romantic date tonight." He had become emboldened as he went on while she sat there for a moment in stunned silence.

She had to admit that their time together had definitely made them closer. And she would be lying if she said that she hadn't considered them becoming more romantically involved a possibility. She just never pictured him making the first move. She was a little conflicted. She loved what they had and the idea of messing that up broke her heart. She didn't want to lose him as a friend and she absolutely hated the idea of losing Scorpius. Still, the prospect of something growing between the two of them had her stomach in knots and keenly aware of the fact that she was wearing only a robe. When they had been friends it was nothing. But now she felt them drift into another plain of a relationship and she found herself blushing at her state of undress.

"Yes Draco. I would love to go on a date with you." She replied as she tugged the corners of her robe tighter together.

He beamed at her response. Her hesitation had sent him reeling over the potential mess he might have made of their relationship. With a relieved sigh he replied, "Wonderful! Do you think you could be back here for 6:00 tonight?"

"That shouldn't be a problem." She smiled beautifully at him and he felt his heart skip a beat. She reluctantly got up from the table and made her way back to her room to get ready for the day. Draco sat alone for a few minutes relishing the possibilities of what tonight might mean.

Meanwhile, a dark figure stood in the shadows of their home. Tonight would be the night he would enact his plan. He was going to make that blood traitor pay, and the war heroine would be the first of the golden trio to fall.


End file.
